Reviving Ryder
by Rollins221
Summary: Amanda helps an 8 year old girl cope with unimaginable trauma. Repost after some editing. Read, review, and enjoy! eventual Finanda romance.
1. Chapter 1

The phone rang. Never a good sign this early, and Amanda rolled over to get it.

"Rollins," she said groggily.

"Rollins, sorry to wake you, but we've got a case, and we need your help," Captain said, "oh, and bring Frannie down too."

Now Amanda was really confused. "Frannie? What? Why, Cap?"

"She could be of some help."

"Ok, we'll be down soon."

Amanda dressed, grabbed her leash, and headed for the door. "come on, Frannie Mae. Ride time."

About ten minutes later, she met Cragen on the corner of the street in front of a big house, Frannie at her side. "What's up Captain?"

"The little girl is in there," he said, pointing to the house. "Only 8. "

Amanda's heart sank like a stone, "Dead or alive?" she asked quietly

"Alive, but badly shaken. She won't come out of her bedroom. Her parents weren't home. Out of town. We're trying to reach them. Perp broke in, raped and killed her babysitter, molested Ryder, and left."

Amanda took a breath. "Ok, here goes... well everything," she said in a soft voice, heading upstairs. She was glad that Cap had given her the girl's name before she tried calling out to her. The scene of the carnage, the basement, had been sealed off and gone over by CSU. "Ryder? Sweetheart, if you're here, make a little noise so I can hear it. I won't hurt you. I'm with the police. My name's Amanda."

A pause. A small sniffle. "You came to help?" asked the tiny voice when she finally reached the door.

"Yeah, sweetie, I did. Will you let me and my doggie friend in?"

"Doggie?" Amanda could tell by her tone that this excited her.

She smiled, even though she knew Ryder couldn't see it from the other side of the door. "Yeah, her name's Frannie."

"Will she bite?" "Ryder inquired in a whisper.

"No, not at all. She's very friendly. You can pet her if you let us in."

Ryder thought a moment, then said, "Okay. I 'll let you in.

Amanda stepped back. The little girl who was before her looked very thin, as though she hadn't eaten in some time. She had tangled black curls that needed a good brushing, and she had a few bruises near her big blue eyes. She gave Amanda a cautious once-over. "You- you won't hurt me?" " she asked her in a barely audible voice.

"No, I promise I won't," she responded. "I'm kinda like a superhero. I catch bad guys."

"Okay. You can come in, but I don't want to go out there."

"Why not?" Amanda asked as she watched the little girl pet Frannie with a nervous hand.

"He's out there."

"Who is he. Sweetheart?"

"He said not to tell, or..."

"You mean he said he would come back?" Amanda guessed.

Ryder nodded. "I can't tell, or he'll be back." She petted Frannie faster, paying special attention to her ears.

"Yeah, Frannie likes her ears rubbed," Amanda said, smiling. She figured changing the subject might help her feel more comfortable to talk later.

"I like her. I have a dog, too."

Amanda smiled "You do? Is it a real dog or a stuffed one?"

"He's real. His name's Buddy."

A few minutes later, a big German Shepard ran into the room, and Frannie let out a playful bark, so Ryder and Amanda laughed.

"Frannie likes him," Ryder said happily, finally climbing into Amanda's lap to watch them play.

About an hour later as they were coloring and the dogs were playing in front of them, Ryder turned to Amanda, saying, "He's a bad man. He hurt Erica."

"Who's Erica?"

"She watches me while Mama and Papa work."

"Oh, so she plays with you?"

Ryder nodded. "She plays with me real good," she answered happily. "We play princesses."

"How did he hurt Erica?"

"I heard a loud scream. It woke me up."

"What happened next?"

"I heard her say, get off me! She said it real loud. She was mad, and a little scared."

"What else did she say?"

"She didn't say amythng else, but she kept screaming, so I tried to get into her room."

"You wanted to help her?"

Ryder nodded, tears shining in her eyes. "Yeah, I tried to get to her, but the- the door- it didn't move, so I ran to get the phone to call for help, but it didn't make any sound."

_He cut the phone line so she couldn't call for help, Amanda thought with a shiver._

"So what happened then?"  
"I heard a big bang. Erica screamed, and then it got quiet. I heard the man."

"What did he say?"

"One down, one more," she whispered. "I got real scared, so I hid up here, but he came up and kicked the door, and he touched me down... there."

"Where?"

Finally letting the tears go, she pointed between her legs. "Here. It hurt, so I told him to stop, but he didn't."

"Did you know him?

"Erica likes him."

_ Her boyfriend," Amanda thought to herself. _"What's his name?"

"His name's Dylan,"

"And what about his last name?"

"Cage," Ryder said as the tears fell. Amanda cuddled her close. "It's okay, it's okay," she soothed.

"I want my mama," she whispered.

"I'd bet you do, honey. We're trying to find her."

"Manda? Why did Rica stop talking?"

Amanda paused. She didn't really know how to answer that one


	2. Chapter 2

"Manda?" Ryder asked, "Will Rrica wake up?"

"No, Sweetie," Amanda said, "Not this time."

"Why not? She said we would play more later."

Amanda's heart clinched. _How do I tell her this so she will understand? She thought to herself._

"That big bang you heard... Ry, it was a gun," she said finally.

"Like my papa shoots sometimes? He told me never to play with them cause I could get hurt if I did."

Amanda nodded. She'd seen the guns in a locked cabinet on her way upstairs, "Yeah, that's right," she replied. "Dylan, he used a gun to hurt Rica."

Fresh tears filled her baby blues. "So, that means she's- she's not coming back?"

Amanda nodded sadly. I'm afraid so, Ry," she confirmed.  
She clutched Amanda's shirt and let them fall. **"Manda, it's- it's- n-not- f-fair!"** she cried out. **"B-bring h-her b-back!"**

It took all Amanda had not to cry, too. "I"m sorry, Sweetheart," she said, I wish I could."

"I w-want R-Rica to c-come b-back," she whispered.

"Yeah, I know you do," she said, rocking her. In the next moment, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Amanda?" the familiar voice asked.  
Still holding Ryder, she turned "Fin," she said, surprised, "What are you doing here?" She was actually really happy to see him. They'd been sharing a place for a couple months now, with all the blessings of the captain, of course.

"Can we talk outside for a sec?" he whispered, motioning toward Ryder.  
She didn't like look on his face. This wasn't gonna be good news. "sure. Ry, can you wait up here for me? I just gotta go talk with Fin, and I'll come right back."

** "N-no, M-Manda, d-don't g-go!" **she pleaded., still crying.

"I'll come right back, I promise."

"O-ok, b-but a-are y-you s-sure?"

"Sure of what?"

"That you'll come- come back? Rica did-didn't."  
Amanda gave her a squeeze "yes, I'm sure."

Ryder nodded, the tears slowing and finally ending. "Okay, I'll wait,"  
"Good girl," she said, smiling at her as she sat her down and followed Fin out. "What's up?" she asked.

"No one can find her folks," Fin replied. "We have a missing persons report out on them."

"Is there any family she can stay with?"

"Not that we can see, and we've been doing a lotta digging."

"Then I guess she will have to come home with us til we find them," Amanda said, reaching up to give him a peck.  
"Sure?"

"Positive."

**A/N I know I kinda just slipped Fin and Amanda sharing a place in there, but I promise, I'll fill in the back story there as I go. Hope you enjoyed this one!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: sorry I haven't updated in a few days. Internet's been down, but I'm back now, so I hope you enjoy!**

"Rollins," Cragen said with a deep sigh when he saw her come back to the precinct with Ryder on her hip.  
"Captain, she has nowhere she can go," Amanda said, whispering comforting words to her as she clutched her shirt saying, "Manda, I wanna go home."  
Cragen considered a long moment, "All right, he agreed finally, "she can stay with you and Fin. Are you sure you can handle it?

"Yes, Captain. I know we can do this. For Ryder, we have to do it. She needs us."

"Can we go home now, Manda?" Ryder asked, "I'm tired."

"Of course, Baby," she answered and then asked, "Would you like to go home with Fin and I'll meet you two there later?"

Ryder looked from Fin to Amanda, considering. Finally, she just shook her head. "I want you to come with us, Manda," she answered.

"Okay," Amanda agreed, "Why don't you go with Fin while I talk with Captain for just a bit, and then we can go home?"

Ryder glanced toward Fin warily.

"Ir's okay," Fin said softly. "I won't hurt you."

Ryder knew if Amanda trusted him, she could, so she said, "Okay. Can I have something to drink?"

Fin gave her a smile. "Sure, Baby Girl. Come on."

Ryder hesitated for a moment, then held out her hand. Fin smiled again and took it.

Amanda watched them go, then turned back to Cragen. "Don't worry, Cap," she said with confidence, "we can deal with this."

"Amanda, if you need anything, you know I'm here."

Amanda flashed him an approving grin and said, "I know. Thanks,Cap"

That night after they'd been shopping for books, toys, and games to fill her room, she came in while Amanda was watching TV. She was holding a brand new stuffed elephant she'd named Violet. "Can we watch with you?" she asked her.

Amanda smiled and patted the sofa. She glanced at Fin, who was in the kitchen making dinner.

Ryder snuggled into her side. "Is Fin a good cook?" she asked.

Amanda nodded. "Oh, yes. He's a real good cook."

"Can I live here?" she inquired.

"Yeah, sweetheart, you can for now."

"Yay!"

Amanda kissed her head.

That night, Amanda was lying in bed when she felt Fin's arms come around her. "Hmm, hello there," she whispered.

"Hey, how are you holdin' up?"

"Okay. I just hope Ryder will be all right."

"I'm sure she will be," he said, kissing her.

"I hope so," she said, returning it.

At around 3 AM, she heard a scream.

"**No, stop! Rica, hold on! I'm coming!"**

Amanda quickly rose from bed and ran to Ryder's room. Fin felt her leave, but figured it was best to let her handle it until Ryder calmed a bit.

"Ryder, honey, wake up," Amanda coaxed her gently. "You're just having a bad dream."

Ryder slowly opened her eyes, saying, "Manda?"

"It's me. You're safe."

She snuggled into her arms, crying. "M-Manda, i-it w-was aw-awful. The-the d-door w-wouldn't m-move."

"I know, Baby, I know." she said and rocked her.

Fin stood watching the scene, then went in to hug them. They were his family now, and he'd do all he could for them.

**A/N: up next, some good ol' Finanda romance!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, followed, and/or favorited this story so far! So happy you're all enjoying it. Without further ado, here's chapter 4.**

Amanda snuggled into Fin's hug as Ryder slept on her shoulder.

"You hangin' in there Amanda?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Takes more than being a comforting force after a nightmare to rattle me. "

"I figured that. Do you want to bring her downstairs so we can sit in front of the fire?

Amanda smiled. "Sure, I'd like that," she agreed, rising as slowly as she could so as not to wake Ryder

She brought her down and sat in front of the roaring fire Fin had built. He sat beside her and put his arms around them both.

"Thanks, Fin," Amanda said, "for taking such good care of us,"

"That's what I do, Rollins," he said, hoping to make her giggle, and she did.

She liked the way he still called her Rollins sometimes. It reminded her of who she used to be and of who she was becoming. "You know," she said softly," I like these quiet, easy moments with us."

"Me, too, he agreed, "and now we have Ryder, so it's even better."

"Yeah," she confirmed, kissing him. "Fin, what if..." Her voice grew soft, and she blinked the tears back.

"What if what?"

"What if we never find her folks?"

"Then we will help her with it."

"She's already lost so much," she whispered.

I know."

"I just don't want her to be hurt again,"

"And we will do our best so she's not, I promise."

"How?"

"I don't know, but we will,"

Ryder stirred, a faint cry of, "**No!"**escaping her lips.

"Shh," Amanda soothed, "it's okay. We're here." She rubbed her back, and she immediately calmed.

That night ended with Fin, Amanda, and Ryder sleeping on the couch after Fin put the fire out.

The next morning, Ryder shook Amanda, saying, "Manda, wake up time. I'm hungry."

Amanda chuckled, stretching "Okay. What will it be?"

"Pancakes, please," she answered in a whisper so she didn't wake Fin.

Amanda gently untangled from him and walked to the kitchen, Ryder on her heels.

"Can I crack the eggs, Manda?

"Sure, do you know how?"

"Yeah, but could you help me? I don't wanna do it wrong."

"Sure. Ready? One, two, three." She helped her crack them. "Good job honey."

She smiled. "Thanks." Her baby doll, one she'd named Jill, was watching from a chair. "Jill's hungry, too." She giggled.

"Well, we'll just have to make Jill some extra."

Ryder laughed. "Manda, she can't eat that. It has to be special made magic dolly food."

"Really? Well, while these cook, why don't you make her hers?"

Ryder's eyes lit up, and she set to work, imagining up a meal for Jill that even Amanda couldn't have seen coming. It was a great spread, and Ryder looked happy, so Amanda was happy too. "Morning, Rollins," Fin said cheerfully, kissing her. "Cragen needs me at the house. Will you be okay here?

"Sure, of course. Go, but be careful out there." She kissed him back,

"I will," he promised. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said and kissed him.  
Later, when they were coloring, her phone chimed. "Be right back," she said then answered, "Rollins."

"Rollins," the voice said.

"Captain," she answered cautiously.

"Fin's been hurt. He's at Saint Catherine's."

"Is- is he okay?"

"Yeah, but he's been shot, and he's asking for you."

"Okay, we'll be right down."

**A/N: Don't you just love cliffhangers? What's up next? Read and see!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, followed and favorited this story so far. This is the first one I've written in awhile, and I'm so happy to see that you're all liking it. It's really keeping me inspired, so thanks again. Here's chapter 5. Enjoy it!**

Ryder was clinging to Amanda as they went inside the hospital. "Manda?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, Baby?"

"Is Fin gonna go away like- like Rica?"

"No, no, not at all. He's gonna be just fine. He was shot in the shoulder, so that arm will be sore for awhile, but he will be okay. Yes, Stella? We're looking for the room of an Odafin Tutuola." Seeing her confused look, she said, "I'm Amanda Rollins, and this is Ryder. "

Stella smiled, saying, "Oh, yes. Fin said as soon as you knew, you would come."

"Is he okay?" Ryder asked.

Stella smiled brightly and said, "Yeah, he's gonna be fine."

"Can we see him?"

"Yeah, he's in room 220."

"Thanks, Stella," Amanda said, giving her a grin. When they got to the room, Amanda knocked. "Come in," he said in a bit of a raspy voice.

Amanda stepped in. Ryder on her hip. "Fin!" she squealed. "You're okay!"

Amanda smiled. "I told you he would be." She kissed her head.

"I was in a fight with a perp," he explained before the question was asked.  
"I went to take the gun away and it went off and hit me in the shoulder. It was through and through, so no damage."

Amanda smiled. "That's great. When can you come home?"

"They're lettin' me out in about an hour. There's somethin' I wanna do first, though." He grabbed a box off the table beside the hospital bed, motioning for Amanda to come closer, so she did.

"I know that I haven't known you long, Amanda, but every day we're together, I realize how strong you are. We've been through a lot as partners at work, and I'm ready to take the next step. I want to make you my partner in life. I love you so much, Amanda, and I want you to be my other half forever. Will you marry me?" He opened the box and revealed a beautiful ring.

Happy tears filled Amanda's eyes, and she smiled "Yes," she whispered, "Yes, I will."

He grinned, slipping it on her finger, and Ryder squealed. "You're getting married!" she said happily.

"Yeah, Baby, we are," Amanda confirmed.

"Can we go home now?" she asked. "I want to help you pick your dress out."

Amanda chuckled. "Soon."

Later that day, Amanda helped him into the house with Ryder behind her. She realized as she tucked him into bed that she was happier than she had been in a long time. This was right where she needed to be. She loved this feeling. Soon she would officially be Mrs, Odafin Tutuola


End file.
